2015 Little Easy Bean Network - Old Beans Should Never Die !

We've been pecking off groundhogs since early summer. Still have one more out there lurking. They are hard on bean sprouts too. I don't dare plant any back there that I don't have plenty of seed for.
 
@Bluejay77 a question about your bush bean 'Candy', there seems to be two versions of it out in circulation, one a true bush the other a twining bush. I was given a sample (4) Candy a few years back and just got around to growing them this year, although only one or two beans per plant so far, they are a true bush bean. I suspect this is because the seed was old when it was given to me so I was lucky to even get them to germinate. A friend of mine grew Candy from another source this year but it grew as a twining bush, which one is the one you grew?
Here on Vancouver Island, we've broken the record for having the driest 3 months in recorded history (116) years, and they say we might be heading for the same next year. The heat here in June I've never seen in my lifetime and I've been around awhile. Water restrictions have made me thankful I had the sense to heavily mulch my bean beds before planting, this has been a lifesaver.
Annette
 


This is what I have to contend with. And our 3 ft hi split rail fence (per CCR's) does nothing to keep them at bay....Luckily the beans are behind some tall wire fencing in the yard.

This was last nite about 6 p.m. at 102 degees in temp. We were all way too hot!
 
OMG, we have deer but luckily my garden is behind a 6 ft. stockade type fence. Only had a deer jump the fence once and that was in the middle of a very severe winter. It bedded down in the shelter of my lath house for the night, it was gone in the morning but left a deposit behind, if not for that we wouldn't have known it had spent the night LOL.
Annette
 
Piet Special has yielded a good number of beans from somewhat immature pods. Those in the most mature pods were damaged by recent rains so I am harvesting them a bit before they dry. There should be plenty left for me too to grow next year. However, I think this bean might prefer a drier summer than this one has been in Virginia.

Solwezi, has finally begun to set pods. I counted two so far. It is safe to say that this one will need a long season to reliably produce seed, but how long? I started them indoors so that will have impacted time to maturity. Either way I expect to get viable seed back to you in a few months Russ.
 
aftermidnight said:
@Bluejay77 a question about your bush bean 'Candy', there seems to be two versions of it out in circulation, one a true bush the other a twining bush. I was given a sample (4) Candy a few years back and just got around to growing them this year, although only one or two beans per plant so far, they are a true bush bean. I suspect this is because the seed was old when it was given to me so I was lucky to even get them to germinate. A friend of mine grew Candy from another source this year but it grew as a twining bush, which one is the one you grew?
Here on Vancouver Island, we've broken the record for having the driest 3 months in recorded history (116) years, and they say we might be heading for the same next year. The heat here in June I've never seen in my lifetime and I've been around awhile. Water restrictions have made me thankful I had the sense to heavily mulch my bean beds before planting, this has been a lifesaver.
Annette
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Hi @aftermidnight !

When I discovered and named Candy in the early 1980's the bean always grew as a half runner. I wonder who was the first person to see this true bush form of the bean. I would be curious to know the circumstances as to how it came about. Many people who grow beans grow more than only one or two varieties. I wonder if this true bush form is the result of more outcrossing with a true bush type. Very intersting indeed.

Your heat and dryness I think is the result of the drought spreading up from the south from California. The entire state of Oregon and Wahsington are now engulfed in this thing. It does appear from the U.S. Drought Monitor maps that some of this drought is being chipped away at from the east and a bit more moisture is working it's way westward from New Mexico and Colorado. I hope your excessive heat and dryness come to an end soon.
 
Holy Mackerel @murphysranch !

Those critters look like regular customers waiting around for the store to open it's doors. The deer that visit my large bean garden come at night. There are a bunch of houses in the area and too much human activity during the day for the deer to come around in the daylight.

I might have to come up with some sort of wire row cages to grow my bush beans under.
 
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VA_LongBean said:
Piet Special has yielded a good number of beans from somewhat immature pods. Those in the most mature pods were damaged by recent rains so I am harvesting them a bit before they dry. There should be plenty left for me too to grow next year. However, I think this bean might prefer a drier summer than this one has been in Virginia.

Solwezi, has finally begun to set pods. I counted two so far. It is safe to say that this one will need a long season to reliably produce seed, but how long? I started them indoors so that will have impacted time to maturity. Either way I expect to get viable seed back to you in a few months Russ.
Click to expand...

Ample amounts of rain are ok when bean plants are growing and maturing, but when the pods begin to dry then it's more beneficial to have drier weather to harvest some good quality seed. However nice seed can be grown during wetter periods if you get to harvesting the drier pods before they get rained on for long periods of time. It's something you get the hang of over time.

It appears now our weather may have snapped itself into a dry period. Have not seen a drop of rain here now in two weeks.
 
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